Since he quit international cricket in August 2020, there has been a lot of talk about what will happen to MS Dhoni as a Chennai Super Kings player. Many people think that IPL 2023 could be the last time Dhoni plays in the tournament. As a result, Chennai’s games in and around Chepauk have become a sea of yellow as fans wait to see the unpredictable wicketkeeper-batsman in action.
Suresh Raina, a former cricketer for India and a four-time winner of the IPL with Chennai, said that Dhoni told him after beating the Mumbai Indians by six wickets that he plans to play for another year after winning the title.
“I’ll play one more year after I win the IPL trophy,” he said. But he looks good and is doing a great job at the plate. “There’s a good team combination now, and as everyone can see, there’s always a Dhoni ki pathshala (the Dhoni masterclass) after the end of the post-game presentation ceremony,” Raina said on Jio Cinema.
“It’s clear that many players learn a lot from him.” But it’s up to him based on how he feels his body is going; he’ll make a decision (about his future) based on that. “After spending time with him, I think he should play another year,” said Raina, an IPL expert for Jio Cinema, in a video conversation with a few people.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will be the next leader of CSK. Suresh Raina
When asked who could lead Chennai after Dhoni retires, Raina said that opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad would be a good choice. He also said that Gaikwad has improved a lot as a player this year. Gaikwad got a lot of attention when he scored 635 runs in the IPL 2021, which helped Chennai win their fourth title. Gaikwad has scored 384 runs in ten games in the IPL 2023. His average is 42.67, and he and Devon Conway make a good opening pair.
“He has been looking strong and very cool.” He has said before that he wants to win a trophy for MS Dhoni. He has been working hard and looks pumped up. His bat speed has gotten a lot better, and if you think back to how he hit sixes in the last game, you can see that he just eased into them.
“Every time he’s tried to time the ball, he’s been in a completely different zone.” His defense has gotten a lot better, and he now thinks like a good batter and captain should. He’s taking on a lot of responsibility, so I’d say he’s a future CSK captain. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was captaining CSK in two or three years,” he said.
Another thing that has helped Chennai get big totals in IPL 2023 is that Shivam Dube has done well in his job as the designated six-hitter, especially against spinners. He has also hit sixes off Kagiso Rabada and a huge 111m hit off Harshal Patel, which left people in awe.
Dube has hit 24 sixes so far in the event, taking advantage of his height and long reach. He is second only to Faf du Plessis, which shows how well he has fit into his role at Chennai.
“He has been doing a great job at bat.” MS Dhoni must have told him before the games that he needed to take a couple of balls and just hit the spinners hard. Everyone talks about how far he hits against spin bowlers, but he also hits so far against fast bowlers.
“He has grown as a batter and is taking on a lot of responsibility by giving CSK 30–40 extra runs.” He’s pumped up, works hard on his game, and both he and Ajinkya Rahane have the support of the team’s management. Both play for Mumbai, where they get along well and hit the ball very well. But Shivam Dube is sure of himself and is in the game awareness zone. Most of his sixes are coming from the front. “He’s hit sixes in a row and is connecting well, which has really impressed me,” said Raina.
